Caged
by Allthetruththatisinme
Summary: She never intended to be an exile, but there she was standing on Kadara. She never intended to be a captive, but she found herself in chains. She never intended to fall for him, but she's happy she did. Now he'll learn the consequences of his actions, but will he get a second chance to fix his mistakes? OCxAkksul
1. Chapter 1

**Nightmares**

 **To: Akksul**

 **From: Thaldyr**

 **I dreamt of the camps again. I thought one couldn't feel pain in dreams, but I did. My back ached from exhaustion. And my skin stung from where they cut me. Even after I awoke, I could feel the kett in my scars.**

 **All I want is to sleep.**

 **Joven,**

 **Thaldyr**

He slammed his palms against the desk and pushed himself away, leaving the datapad where he'd dropped it. Thaldyr was being reckless and she knew it! The idea of her getting hurt after all they'd been through angered him. If she would have just come with them! He would have kept her safe. He would find her a place on Aya, a _good_ home. A _safe_ one.

He turned to the window and stared out at the stars. There were so many. And they were lost to the Angara. There were few star charts beyond their three established planets. Angara once traveled, they were once a strong people. And now they cowered, now they were limited because of the kett... and the scourge. Akksul grit his teeth, watching the way the scourge twisted through their existence. It had been a part of their systems for as long as he could remember, but it was only recently that it turned from a curiosity to an annoyance. He was no longer interested in the Remnant or any of the discoveries he'd made while learning from the Moshae. What good was discovery when his people were being kidnapped at every turn? When the kett destroyed anything good in the world?

The Roekaar's numbers had increased drastically since the arrival of the new aliens. Akksul didn't trust them, but they were hardly a concern of his. He had devoted his focus to wiping out the kett, something the Resistance constantly failed to do. He could not afford to be distracted by these newcomers. They would see in time if the aliens were like the kett.

Akksul knew what the recruits thought of the aliens, xenophobia was widespread, but if it bolstered their numbers, then he didn't care.

He placed a hand against the glass, watching as his home planet grew smaller in the distance. He tried to persuade Thaldyr to join him again, but she always refused. She was stubborn, that woman. He left a troop to protect her, but there wasn't much else he could do to help. Not when the kett drew his attention elsewhere. They were rampant on Kadara, and he'd gotten word of more of these…. Humans coming, claiming they could be rid of them.

"We'll see."

"See what, little brother?"

His brother's voice startled him, but Akksul remained still. After a pause, he turned to look at Jivfra. He stood in the doorway, a smirk on his lips, amused at having caught his brother talking to himself. Akksul shook his head. "How long until we reach Kadara Port?"

"Taak says within the hour, but you did not answer my question."

"These humans, I'm curious to see if they are just like the kett. They battle amongst themselves like adhi, but their 'Initiative' claims to be different. I would just as soon avoid them."

Jivfra nodded, his lips pursed. He walked further into the room, moving to stand by Akksul's desk. His webbed fingers brushed against a datapad, and the screen flickered to life. "What will you tell the others, kill on sight?" he asked, lifting the datapad close enough to read the words. A glance over his shoulder told Jivfra that Akksul was staring out the window again, unaware of Jivfra's nosing.

Akksul hummed, thinking to himself. "Only if they get in the way, we do not need to fight two wars."

Jivfra left silently, his disapproval of Akksul's leniency towards the humans evident in the way he hunched his shoulders. But Akksul's attention was still turned towards the stars, his thoughts focused on gaining a foothold in Kadara. There were already plenty of angara on the planet, but he needed a strong force to combat the kett and a reserve in case the aliens proved to be more trouble.

Akkusl moved back towards his computer, typing up a reply to Thaldyr. There was at least something he could do for her. He placed a small bottle into a package, sending both to Havarl.

 **Re: Nightmares**

 **To: Thaldyr**

 **From: Akksul**

 **Tarashay,**

 **I'm sending you a bottle of dremaagry - it should help with the nightmares. I use it myself from time to time.**

 **I know I promised not to bring it up again, but I wish you would come stay at one of our camps. Havarl's jungles are dangerous. I don't like the idea of you alone out there. And it would be nice to have you near. Please, think about it again.**

 **Joven,**

 **Akksul**

xxx

 _Hello, Traveler, and welcome to your first day in Andromeda! This is the dawn of a new era for all of us. As you recover from stasis, know that you're in good hands. In a few short hours, you'll be leaving the Nexus and joining thousands of your fellow colonists as you chase your fortunes and build the new life you've always dreamed about. It's been a long wait - but I promise you it will be worth it._

 _Jien Garson_

 _Founder, Andromeda Initiative_

Lilja wasn't entirely sure why she'd kept the message. She'd been woken up early, the Nexus wasn't even complete, and there were no 'Golden Worlds' to chase their fortunes or build new lives on, and Lilja still felt a little lost. Adain, her brother, had pulled strings to get her woken up when it was evident that the Hyperion, and the other arks, weren't coming. Just over a year in Andromeda.

Everything went to hell shortly after that.

There was something strange about holding a weapon that wasn't alliance issue. Lilja knew why it unsettled her, in the alliance she knew who she was, that she was doing good. Now she was in the middle of an unknown galaxy surrounded by mercenaries… well, she supposed she was a mercenary now. After the exile.

Lilja sighed.

This wasn't what she'd expected coming to Andromeda, but when her brother was going to be exiled she'd acted rashly. Now they were both in the middle of nowhere. Hopefully Kadara would prove to be more of a home to her than the Nexus had. But by the way the angara were angrily staring at her, she didn't think that was going to be the case.

"Come on, Sis. You're wasting daylight."

Adain nudged Lilja's shoulder and she pushed back. He was right though. She didn't have time to contemplate the universe. Not when there were kett to hunt. "Where's Sloane sending us now?"

"There's a group of kett just outside the slums. It's our job to chase them off," Adain explained as the rest of the team grabbed their weapons and made for the gate.

There was a rover waiting for them, and all six of the team climbed inside. Lilja found herself squished between Erick and Kyle in the back with Mason, while Adain and Jemimah were comfortably sitting in the front. Jemimah pulled out a rough map of the terrain, and pointed Adain North, Northeast.

"There's a cave, not too far, where we think they're holed up. Sloane said to wait and observe, see if they're based anywhere else, and then strike."

Adain stepped on the gas, sending them flying down the road. "Let's do this."

They twisted down the road, coming to a sharp stop in front of the aforementioned cave. Lilja pushed the others to move faster as they piled out of the rover. Once out, she brushed herself off, and readied her rifle. "Jemi, Mason, you wait by the entrance, we'll signal if we need help, but we don't want any kett returning and taking us by surprise." They nodded their acceptance and took posts on either side. Lilja smiled. "Alright, the rest of you...let's go kick some kett ass."

They made their way into the cave, slow and quiet progress. This wasn't exactly a recon mission, but Lilja knew that Sloane liked extra information. It was the easiest way to escape patrol duty; be useful. Adain had been working on a device to track different kett transponders, but it all went over Lilja's head. She was a down in the dirt kind of girl. All she needed was a gun and her biotics to keep going. Adain was all about the gadgets.

Lilja crouched behind a crate. The kett were not thirty yards away, but they were clearly distracted with something. It looked like they were loading crates onto a ship. Big crates. The sound of comms crackled in Lilja's ear. ::Tomasson, we have a problem.::

::What?:: Lilja and Adain responded in unison.

::Dropship,:: Mason explained.

Lilja raised an eyebrow, lowering herself further behind the crate. ::More kett?:: she whispered.

::No, angara.::

She frowned, knowing that the angara were barely tolerating them, and if it was one of those extremists, then things were about to get interesting. ::Shit, well, tell them we've got this covered.::

The sounds of gunfire came over comms, and Lilja swore. Again.

::Sorry, Commander, looks like diplomacy isn't an option here.::

::Just get -

The line went dead.

"Damnit!" Lilja hissed. She turned her attention back to the kett they were observing. One of the crates they were lifting rattled.

"Let me out!"

Lilja gaped, they had people in those cages! As much as she wanted to turn back for Jemimah and Mason, her conscience wouldn't let her. She shook her head, "We stick to the plan. I'm not letting those kett bastards take anyone."

Adain nodded, and signaled to Kyle and Erick that operations were 'Go'. Lilja rolled out of cover just in time to hear the sounds of gunfire behind her. She ducked to the left when kett began firing. Mason and Jemimah were running towards her, with angara hard on their heels. Lilja spun around, firing at the kett. No way was her team going to be able to fight on two fronts for long. There were only six of them for goodness sake.

She ran further into the base, placing Adain's special explosives around. If they weren't going to make it out of here, then the kett sure as hell weren't going to have use of this base. Using her biotics to lift her into the air, Lilja slammed back onto the ground in a nova. The kett around her went flying and she used that time to start breaking open the cages.

Behind her, Adain and Kyle were moving in to help Mason and Jemimah. She fumbled with the locks, using biotics to tear them off. Her barrier pulsed, protecting her against gunfire. She had a minute, at most, to get the captives out of the way before her barrier failed.

"Lilja!"

She turned towards the sound of her brother's voice, spotting him across the cavern. That was when the explosives went off. Lilja flinched, leaping into cover. When the dust settled she looked for Adain, the kett began moving again, and by the sounds of it they had reinforcements. She heard the angara shout in their foreign language, her translator glitching in and out.

"Kett ...coming…. need evacuation…. base destroyed."

Lilja pushed herself to her feet, and reached for her rifle. Another squad of kett moved into the cavern and the angara began firing. She glanced behind her, happy to see that the caged angara were still alive. Then she started moving, checking about the rubble for her brother. "Adain!"

"Over here!"

Lilja ran towards him, a half smile on her face when she caught up to him. "I thought you were a goner for a second there."

He chuckled. "Someone placed the explosives early."

She shrugged. "Couldn't risk it. You saw what they were trying to do."

"Fair enough," he muttered, "but how are we getting out of here."

"That's a great question," Kyle said, moving in from behind. Next to him was the rest of her squad.

Lilja grinned. "Glad to see you could all make it."

"You mean glad your impatience didn't get us all killed?" Erick asked with a frown.

"Close enough." Lilja scanned the area. The entrance was blocked, which meant the only way they were getting out was with a whole lot of bullets. "Alright, everyone, take a breath and reload. We're blitzing to the entrance."

xxx

Lilja checked her clip, three left and more kett than she could count. She didn't know how they could get so many reinforcements in such a short time, but they did. Erick was unconscious and she was pretty sure that Mason was dead. In that moment, she hated the kett more than anything in the world. She charged into the fray, taking down three right away.

She tossed her rifle to the side, using her biotics to push through. She was not going down without a fight. She could hear some of the angara still fighting, until the only ones left who had bullets were the kett. They tore through her barrier, knocking her to the ground.

Lilja coughed, spitting out blood. Above her, one of the kett approached, but instead of shooting her, he hit her in the head with the butt of his gun, knocking her out.

She awoke in a different room, in one of the cages that she'd tried to save the angara from. The room was dark, and the doors looked like kett technology. A base that had been built into the side of a mountain by the looks of it. Her floor was dirt, and there was only one light, a small heat lamp that kept the room at a barely livable temperature. Wherever they were, it wasn't Kadara. It was cold, and damp.

The cage beside hers rattled. "Lil, you awake?"

She rolled onto her side. "Mason? I thought you were dead."

He coughed out a bitter laugh. "No, they took us all alive. I think they're experimenting on us. They took Erick and Jemimah."

"Haven't seen them in hours," Kyle pitched in. "We all thought you were dead. You hadn't moved since they brought you in, and they wouldn't let us check on you."

She nodded slowly. "Where's Adain?"

"Next cage over," Mason said, "They just brought him back in… he's resting."

"What'd they do to him?" Lilja asked angrily.

"Don't worry, he's alright, just exhausted. Said they were running scans, that's all."

"But he saw things," Mason said, fear tinging his voice.

Lilja frowned. "Like what?"

xxx

"What do you mean Kedh did not return?" Akksul said, his calm beginning to shatter. He glared down at the scout, whose name he had forgotten. In that moment, he didn't care, all of his focus was on staying calm. Kedh was one of his best men, one of the most loyal. He'd been with Akksul and the Roekaar from the beginning.

"They went to the base, like you ordered. There were humans already there, and then the kett sent in more troops. They were overwhelmed."

Akksul clenched his hands, he would kill the kett with his bare hands if Kedh did not return alive. The scout quivered in front of Akksul, afraid of his wrath. Most days Akksul kept it contained, but the few occasions that he had not caused stories to spread. He was not an angara that you wanted to be on the bad side of, and this scout thought no different.

"Go," Akksul gritted out.

The scout scampered off, and Akksul turned in the space of his cabin. They needed a way to track the kett. The scout said the base was destroyed, but there was kett among the wreckage, attempting to salvage all they could; they were not done with Kadara.

Akksul stalked out of his room and to the cockpit. "Taak, take us to Haarfel."

"Sir?"

He stared out the window. "We're going after Kedh's team."

"Yes, brother."

xxx

She was strapped to a table. Lilja struggled against the restraints. She couldn't remember how she got there, and knew she must have been drugged. A bright light shined down on her, illuminating the sterilized table she was laid out on, a tray of medical instruments to her left.

"Fuck. Why does Adain always have to be right?"

" _Zul chem soned_!"

Lilja flinched away from the boney kett face. "Hey bonehead, I can't understand you."

" _Khan no volhkned hesh_... what…are you?"

"What am I? Well, for starters, I'm prettier than you." She expected the slap, but his boney structure made it sting more than a typical one. Lilja licked her busted lip, and glared. "I'm a human, dumbass."

"Hooman."

Lilja rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure, close enough."

" _Tho nov hesh_. Not like others."

She furrowed her brow. Was that a question? "Not like who?"

The kett stuck out a long finger, pointing across the room. On a similar slab was Erick's naked body. His chest was cut open, ribs snapped back so they could see all of his organs. Lilja clenched her hands, her stomach rolling dangerously. "Ah, hell, Erick. I'm so sorry."

She could feel the tears brimming, but tried to resist. She didn't want to get the kett the satisfaction. Instead she gritted her teeth and glared at it in defiance.

It growled and raised its hand to hit her again. "Why? Not like others."

"I've got jiggly bits," she retorted, closing her eyes and waiting for the hit. But it didn't come. The tray clattered as it picked up a long thin blade. The blade pressed against her side.

"Tell!" the kett shouted.

"Go fuck yourself."

The blade moved faster than she expected, stabbing into her side and twisting downward. The kett watched the blood pour out and tore further. The wound was nearly five inches long, but not so deep. Lilja wondered if he did it on purpose, wondered how much they learned of human physiology through dissecting Erick.

Her biotics flared in her anger, and the kett stepped away, seemingly satisfied with her response to the pain. Lilja struggled again, using her biotics to snap the restraints off. She threw the kett across the room, but the blue glow died down quickly as she lost strength. Everything was fuzzy... dim. Her stomach flopped and it was as if all the blood in her body had been drained, her limbs losing the strength to hold her.

Lilja made three more steps towards the door before all control left her. She tripped forward, the light was quickly fading. A force slammed her into wall. Lilja pawed at the floor weakly. All of her strength was focused on staying conscious, but she could feel it slipping through her fingers. A cold claw grasped her around the neck, and she forced her eyes open.

Of course, a kett.

"Bite... me," she managed to spit out before falling unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

The ground was rough, rocks embedded into what served as a floor. Lilja swallowed a cough, afraid to make too much noise. She didn't want to bring any attention to herself. Any _more_ attention.

Her side still hurt, a bitter sting that had faded into a dull ache as the night passed. She hadn't moved since the kett dumped her back into her cell, and quite frankly she was afraid to, she could still feel the cold surgical like blades against her skin. They poked and prodded her, 'curious as to what set humans apart' they said. One by one she had watched her squad die. There were six of them in the beginning, some of the only soldiers that the Nexus had until the exile. Lilja wasn't even sure how she had ended up among them. She didn't want a revolt. She had just wanted some answers.

Lilja twisted her head, looking to the other side of her cage. They were in a cave, that much she was sure about. And it was cold. She remembered the feel of her fresh sticky blood against her clothes warming her. She lifted a finger, testing her mobility. It hurt, but it wasn't quite so painful now that her broken bones had time to mend. It had been foolish to use her biotics in such a confined space, there was no way they wouldn't catch her, but at the sight of Adain's body…. she'd lost it. She had charged the kett surrounding him, using her nova to kill them quickly. Biotics were her strength, but there were too many kett and she was already exhausted. After they discovered her biotics, the kett did everything they could to keep her from using them again…. And then they wanted to know how she was able to use them. So far, she was lucky enough to have her implant intact. They rattled her, but with enough time for all the bones to mend, and she would still be able to use her biotics to escape. Or at least that's what Kyle said to reassure her. Lilja was almost certain that neither of them were making it out of the kett facility alive.

After testing each finger, she lifted her hand, sliding it from side to side. She twirled her wrist in a circle and then slowly moved her hand up to shoulder level. She pushed, flipping herself onto her back. Lilja gasped sharply, the wounds from her back protested, but she wouldn't learn anything if she continued laying there as if she were already dead. She looked into the cage beside her own, an angara was sitting in the middle of the cage. He was meditating.

Lilja envied him, his calm. She barely managed to contain her anger when she saw the kett. Not that she was strong enough to do anything about it, but that didn't keep her from longing to tear them limb from limb with mass effect fields.

"What are you staring at, human?" the angara spat, eyes opened in narrow slits that glared at Lilja.

She frowned, knowing that he must be one of the Roekaar. The extremists. Part of the reason she ended up in this camp to begin with. They'd been tracking a group of kett, hoping to eliminate them from Kadara, at least that's what Sloane said. Now Lilja was fairly certain that she'd just used her team as a distraction, sacrificing them. Her team was close to stopping the kett when the Roekaar had attacked. They didn't have enough ammo or soldiers to take on them both. The kett were the victors of that skirmish.

Lilja took a shaky breath in, she'd been keeping track of the days, just over three weeks of captivity. The Roekaar seemed unperturbed. The angara were simply used as a work force. Apparently, the kett deemed most of the humans too weak. We couldn't withstand the cold, which left only test subjects. Lilja knew the only reason she was alive was because she had been the only female of the team, and she was the only biotic. A unique test subject.

"How are you so calm?" she asked. There was a good chance he would not respond at all, but her curiosity got the better of her.

"I am not alone, human. My brother and sister Roekaar will come for me," he tilted his head towards her, a sneer on his large pale blue lips, "will your Initiative do the same?"

Lilja grit her teeth, of course not. She was an exile, and Sloane didn't give a shit about anyone but herself. Lilja only wished she knew that before she offered to help. She thought they would be doing something good, fighting the kett, but she knew now that they were simply pawns in Sloane's grab for power. Fucking Kadara Port. Lilja wondered how far she was from Kadara. Had to be in a different system, Kadara was the only inhabited planet in Govorkam, not to mention there wasn't a frozen planet in that system.

She clenched her fists, pushing herself into a sitting position. It was painful, but she managed, a feat she hadn't accomplished in over two weeks. Lilja noticed the angara's eyes soften at her display of pain. What was left of her clothes didn't cover much, and she had enough bruises to rival an angara's coloring. She stared at him, mimicking his tone when she said, "What are you staring at, angara?"

His chest rumbled, a growl she assumed. She turned away, watching as a kett soldier dragged Kyle in and dumped him into the cell, his turn on the dissecting table over. He turned his head away from her eyes. "Probably my last trip," Kyle muttered.

Lilja snapped her head towards him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Means I can't take anymore, Lil."

She clawed herself forward, pressing against the bars between their cells. He was in bad shape, worse than her, if that was possible. "You just need some time to rest," she said, lying to herself. Kyle shook his head, but didn't say anything.

Lilja stared at her hands, her eyes narrowed in focus. Her biotics crackled lightly. Still not strong enough. She sighed. There was no way she could protect him. Lilja bit the inside of her cheek and she pulled her shirt off of her skin, the blood and sweat causing it to cling in certain spots. Lilja longed for a shower, and the thought of clean water made her moan aloud. She didn't feel embarrassed when the angara watched her closely or when Kyle croaked out a laugh. "Pleasuring yourself, Lil?"

She grinned, her split lip reopening painfully. "I thought about water," she admitted, her tongue darting out to lick at the blood on her dry lips.

"Ohh, Lil, no. Don't say that word," Kyle grumbled.

The angara huffed in agreement. She looked over at him, amused that his hatred of humans didn't keep him from their conversation, if only in vague noises. Her smiled died when the door opened, a bright stream of white flowed in behind the kett. The light burned her eyes, which had adjusted to the dark, and she looked down at the floor. They grabbed angara, dragging them from the room. When they approached Kyle's cell, Lilja darted forward. "No! You can't take him! He just got back," she pleaded, "Take me!"

"Don't, Lil," Kyle hissed.

She wrapped her hands around the bars, pressing close. "But you said-"

"I know what I said," he snapped, "now shut up."

She reached for him through the bars and he pushed her back, hissing, "don't draw attention to yourself."

Lilja slumped back in defeat. She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, and as the kett left with their chosen slaves, she let them fall. Her body shook with sobs, the room echoing with her pathetic whimpers as she tried to control herself. It was just her and some racist angara who probably wanted to kill her as much as he wanted to kill the kett.

She wrapped her arms around herself, her breaths ragged and wet with tears that still spilled down her cheeks. They were salty, and the taste mixed bitterly with the iron of her blood. She coughed, her lungs clenching through the strain. When she finally caught her breath, the room was silent. Lilja looked over at the angara. His chest rose and fell in a rhythm, his shoulders wide, and arms at his sides. His legs were bent in a manner that seemed strange to Lilja, but she guessed was the only way they could fold them, considering their shape. "What's your name?"

"What do you care, human?"

Lilja stared at the side of his face, her eyes tracing the colorful ridges. His eyes were still shut, but his brows tugged inward, a sign of his annoyance. Her curiosity egged her on. "How about a name for a name?"

One eye opened and watched her. "What?"

"Lilja," she supplied.

His brows rose to their natural resting place, leaving his face impassive. "Kedh. Now leave me in peace, human."

"Lovely meeting you, Kedh. You're real nice. Must have lots of friends," she drawled, her curiosity unsated.

"Your sarcasm must endear you to other humans, then? Another reason to dislike humans."

Lilja shifted, a wound spreading pain across her side. He clearly wasn't going to talk to her, and she wasn't that much of a masochist to want to keep prodding him. "Great talk," she gritted.

Her eyes fluttered shut, the pain dragging her into an exhausted sleep. The ground didn't provide the sort of bed that left one well-rested, and in the morning Lilja's body ached more than it had the night before. The blood dried, leaving dark splotches to accompany her purplish yellow bruises. Kyle still wasn't in his cell, but some of the other angara returned, along with a new set of captives. Lilja found herself lying across from a new cellmate.

"Good morning," Lilja croaked to the female angara.

"You look worse than an adhi," she muttered back.

"Gee, thanks." Lilja crawled to her knees, staring into Kyle's cell. She saw a couple new angara, but there definitely wasn't anyone human inside the cell. She turned to the cell on her other side, where Kedh still sat. "Have you seen my friend? Have you seen Kyle?"

"Your human has not returned."

Lilja gripped the bars and pressed her face closer. "He has a name! It's Kyle! And if you could conjure more than an ounce of emotion or… or sense then you would know that we humans are not half the threat to you that the kett are! You Roekaar hate us because we're different, but we aren't the ones enslaving your people. We aren't the ones who torture and test people…. break them." Lilja sucked in a breath, she could feel the tears returning and fought desperately to keep them back. "You have no reason to hate us. You don't even know Kyle! Or me! We just wanted to get rid of the kett," Lilja finished in defeat. She let the tears fall again.

"No reason to hate you? I would not be in this cell if it weren't for your team! You humans are-

"Hush, Kedh!" the female angara snapped, "Leave the girl alone, she has suffered enough."

Kedh's chest rumbled in a growl again. "You are too soft, Onsef."

Lilja felt arms wrap around her, a webbed hand pressing against her head and smoothing through her hair. "Rest, human. The kett will return soon and you will need your strength."

Lilja lifted her head to stare into the Onsef's eyes, "What for?"

She smiled, "Just rest."

Lilja nodded, not looking to argue. The feeling of warmth around her was pleasant. It had been so long since someone had cared for her that she didn't even care if the angara hated her, she just didn't want Onsef to stop. Though she had barely been awake ten minutes, Lilja could feel sleep overcoming her again.

xxx

The ground team was almost prepared, and if the reports were correct, Onsef's team had infiltrated the kett compound. It was hidden, and despite searching for months, they hadn't been able to locate it. With the tracker that Onsef had hidden within the lining of her clothes the Roekaar could finally take down the kett cell that had been kidnapping angara from the Govorkam system. The signal led to Weirus in the Rohvir system. It was a cold planet that lacked a breathable atmosphere, a curious place for the kett to set up on, but out of the way. Akksul checked his rifle, watching the men get ready. Though no one could tell, he was nervous - near panic - at the thought of Onsef being in danger. She was his brother's wife, and though few knew it, she was expecting a child. He never would have allowed her to go, but he wasn't able to stop her in time, and she already had the tracking device when she was captured.

He paced the open space of the shuttle, the blizzard causing it to shake unsteadily. Akksul checked his extra ammo, before sliding another pistol into a holster on his hip.

"ETA ten minutes," the pilot called out.

Akksul narrowed his eyes, staring out the window. Through a blur of white, he could spot blinking red lights. The landing pad. He would see Onsef soon, and ensure that she was safe.

xxx

Voices brought her out of the darkness, sharp hushed sounds.

"And what of the human?"

"We take her with us, Kavfa," Onsef hissed.

Kedh scoffed. "She will only slow us down."

Lilja rolled onto her back, but kept her eyes shut. She could hear the doors to the outside open, and she cringed, whatever plan they had, it was going down soon. The sound of kett footfalls echoed in the cave, and she heard a cell door creak. A body dropped to the floor and Lilja's eyes snapped open. "Kyle?"

She crawled towards him, "Kyle, are you okay?"

His head tilted towards her. "I'm alive, at least."

Lilja was trying to think of something positive to say when an explosion shook through the cave. Kett poured in from the outside, shouting in their native tongue. A blast from a kett rifle shot the lock off her cell door and Onsef shot to her feet. "Get up, human. We're leaving."

Lilja struggled to her feet. "I'm not leaving without Kyle."

Onsef looked from Lilja to the human laying on the floor. He was near death, that much was plain to see, but Lilja was stubborn enough to stay and die if it meant that he wouldn't be left alone. Onsef sighed. "Come quickly then."

Another explosion threw Lilja against the side of her cell, and pain exploded across her vision, blurring everything. The dust from the cave created a sort of smog-like cover for the Roekaar to hide in as the pushed deeper into the base. Lilja gripped blindly, scrambling to help Kyle out of his cell. When they were both on their feet, Lilja felt angara hands grip her, pushing her forward faster than her legs could carry her. She stumbled, leaning against angara for support. He grunted, but kept guiding her towards the exit. They had to get to the landing pad to escape, if they went into the outside without suits the cold would freeze them if the atmosphere did not choke them to death first.

She could hear Kyle's groans though she could barely see him, and she knew his wounds must be hurting. "We need to stop, he needs rest. He can't keep going like this!" Lilja shouted, at the Roekaar.

"We will not wait for you humans. If you want freedom it is now, or never."

Lilja nodded, she wrapped Kyle's arm around her neck and lifted as much of his weight as her body would allow. It was slow moving, but she hadn't left him and that's what mattered to her. Another explosion tossed them to the ground. Onsef rushed back, followed by an unfamiliar face. He looked enraged, but he focused his anger on the kett that were following them down the hall.

Onsef rolled from cover, moving to help her fellow angara up. Beside Lilja, Kyle wasn't moving. His body lay limp in the center of the hall.. Lilja pushed herself up, moving closer to him. "Kyle," she whimpered, shaking his arm. "Kyle! Get up!"

"He's dead. We need to go," Kedh shouted at her.

He grabbed her by the wrist and she tried to brush him away, but the angara's strength far outweighed her own. Lilja ran, hoping to keep her rising emotions at bay. Their retreat was hindered by another wave of kett that flanked them from the right. Lilja ducked behind a crate. She needed a weapon to be of any help. She looked around, seeing a dead kett just a little further down the hall.

She darted out from behind the kett, bolting to the rifle, she grabbed it and somersaulted into new cover. The kett weapon felt strange in her hand, but it was just as effective as her own assault rifle. She aimed at the kett closest to Onsef, allowing them more time to get the injured to safety. When a glance behind her showed more kett coming, Lilja panicked. The other angara hurried to reload, but she could tell he wouldn't be fast enough. Lilja spun around, facing the kett. She thrust her hands upward, her biotics flaring to life.

Her barrier expanded, covering all of the wounded, herself, and the angara across the hall. "Onsef, RUN!"

Lilja struggled to sustain her barrier, it was one of the largest she'd created, and she could feel the wound on her side tearing open as she held her arms above her head. When she was certain that all the prisoners had escaped down the hall she summoned the last of her strength, pushing outward. The shockwave knocked all the kett back, sending some of them flying. Lilja collapsed to the ground, the blue of her biotics fading as she fell unconscious.

xxx

Akksul gripped his rifle tightly, they were almost back at the landing pad. Almost to safety. Then he could shoot Onsef. What had she been thinking?! Did she not care for her own safety?! A hand clamped onto Akksul's arm and he spun around, prepared to strike.

It was Onsef.

"What is it?" Akksul grunted. Onsef looked panicked, and it made his heart rate skyrocket.

"She's not here!"

Akksul furrowed his brow. "Who?"

"The human! Lilja. She saved me, she saved all of us. We must go back for her!" Onsef shouted over the sound of gunfire.

She turned towards the way they came and Akksul shook his head, his hand darting out to catch her. "NO. You lead them to the shuttle. If we must take this human, then send someone else for her. You must stay safe."

"Akksul," she pleaded.

He groaned, the sound low and menacing, but he turned back nonetheless. Onsef was always soft on aliens, a trait he did not relish, but he would not risk his brother's wife. Or their unborn child. Akksul took off at a jog, seeing the limp human form huddled on the ground. When he lifted her she whimpered, curling in on herself. His armor was stained with blood, fresh human blood. He clenched his jaw, another reason to hate the kett. This human was small, feeble, what good was she as labor? They were sick monsters, attacking anyone they could get their claws on.

He heaved her body over his shoulder, one arm holding her, while he held a pistol in the other hand. He quickly made his way back down the hall, nodded to Kedh and Paavel who were standing guard by the doors. They followed in after him, and Akksul shouted for everyone to get onto the shuttle. His eyes scanned the passengers, settling on Onsef. He brushed past people, moving to stand in front of her. There he placed the human down, letting her rest against the wall. "There. Your human."

Onsef smiled up at him, "Thank you, tavetaan."

Akksul frowned, staring down at the human. It was dirty, covered in wounds and bruises, and unconscious. Though he didn't recoil at the sight of it, like with kett, he was unhappy that everyone was put at risk to rescue it. "You are responsible for it," he replied gruffly.

Onsef was unoffended by Akksul's brusk words. "Not 'it', Akksul, but 'she'. This human risked her life to save all of us, you should be more grateful."

Akksul scoffed, turning his back to Onsef and the human. The thought of being grateful to an alien was preposterous, and he had more important things to take care of at the moment. The shuttle shifted in the storm winds, but the made it off the planet safely. They needed to make three stops, the first at Kadara Port to refuel, and check in on the two Roekaar cells. He'd gotten work from his contact there that one of the cells had gone rogue. They were studying some form of human disease that did not affect the angara. Akksul was not comfortable with torturing the species, if the Roekaar were to kill them, it should be a swift death. He would not become like the kett.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Shelesh is the angaran language, which is where I got all the words from, and the kett language is Toniazhet...annnnnd I totally made up most of the words._


	3. Chapter 3

"He was supposed to be here an hour ago," she grumped, pacing in the space of the small room. Her hip brushed against the corner of the table and she glared at it, kicking the leg of the table. It shifted, the legs threatening to give out, and the markers on the map falling off their spots.

Akksul's chest rumbled with a brief laugh as he put the markers back in place. "Have more patience, Onsef," he told her, "He will be here."

Onsef raised an eyebrow at him, glancing down at the datapad he held. Whatever he had been reading put him in a better mood. Just an hour ago he was yelling at her for her foolish actions, and her insistence to bring the human along. Onsef was happy, of course, but it didn't make it any less strange. Akksul had changed after being taken by the kett, which was to be expected of anyone who was caged by the kett for so long, but he was even different than other captives. She didn't claim to know her brother-in-law better than anyone else, but he rarely showed his emotions ever since he returned. It was unlike an angara to hide their feelings. All of his focus was on the kett, on leading the Roekaar. She didn't know how to help him, but it wouldn't stop her from trying.

Akksul looked up at Onsef, watching the way she stared out of the corner of her eye, thinking that he did not notice her. She looked concerned, it was a look he had seen from her quite often, which only made him smile wider; she would be a good mother when the time came. He dropped his gaze back to the datapad.

 **Re: Nightmares**

 **To: Akksul**

 **From: Thaldyr**

 **I don't deserve your thoughtfulness. You know I would love to join the Roekaar, to fight by your side. But the shaking returns whenever I'm around strangers. It's better if I stay here. Thank you for the dremaagry - last night was the first time in months I did not dream of the kett. It seems you have saved me again, tanovaan.**

 **Joven,**

 **Thaldyr**

Akksul smiled to himself, setting the datapad down as the door opened. "Good, Taavos, you're here."

The door slid shut and Taavos entered the room, giving Akksul a small smile. They clapped arms together in greeting and everyone settled around the map on the table. The different locations where the rogue cell of Roekaar had resurfaced were marked on the map. Taavos frowned at it.

"The good news is: recruitments are still up because of the new aliens."

"And the bad?"

Taavos leaned over the map, setting down new markers. "Jos went out scouting and hasn't returned. He thinks he's getting close to Anrih's team. They last checked in two months ago. Since then three aliens have died, Stomach wounds, slow deaths. With messages left that point directly to us, to the Roekaar. Well, if the humans knew what to look for, and I doubt they do."

Akksul nodded slowly, keeping an intent stare at the map where the murders occured. There didn't seem to be any pattern to the attacks, and they didn't have the numbers in Kadara to take care of anyone who wasn't following orders while still watching out for the kett. Akksul sighed. Anrih always was hot headed, so it was no surprise that he would attempt to take things into his own hands. Akksul had hoped giving him his own squad to command might help him learn some responsibility. For the first few months that had worked, but apparently the Roekaar weren't working fast enough for Anrih.

Akksul had already contemplated staying and taking care of the threat himself, but he needed to return Onsef to her home. He also wished to check in a Thaldyr. Not to mention there was the human to deal with. "Keep looking out for kett, Taavos. Inform me when Jos returns."

Taavos nodded obediently, and left.

Akksul turned to Onsef. "What did you do with your human?"

"She has a name, little brother. A pretty name too; Lilja. You should try using it."

Akksul grunted in response. "Where is she, Onsef? Tell me you did not leave her alone on the ship."

Onsef grinned impishly, "I didn't leave her alone on the ship?"

Akksul sighed. He took Onsef by the arm and guided her out of the room. Then he sent a message to Kedh, informing him that the human was alone on the shuttle.

 **Untitled**

 **To: Kedh**

 **From: Akksul**

 **Onsef left the human alone on the ship. I need you to go find her and make sure she does not touch anything.**

 **Do not harm the human.**

 **-Akksul**

xxx

Lilja awoke on the floor of a shuttle.

Everything looked strange, unfamiliar. She turned her head, testing the mobility of her body as she struggled to stand. Pain exploded through her body, but she managed to stay on her feet. Lilja gripped her side, feeling the warmth of fresh blood seeming from her side wound. She gingerly lifted her shirt to find a bandage wrapped around her middle. Someone had tended her wounds while she was unconscious.

She looked around. It wasn't a kett shuttle, that much was for sure. It was empty, which was strange. No pilot, no soldiers. Lilja ambled towards the door, where bright light flowed inside. Whatever planet they were on, it was not the same that she'd been held captive on. It was warm - well, it was damn hot, she could already fell the sweat collecting against her lower back. She carefully climbed out of the shuttle, her limbs were tender, but as far as she could tell none of her bones had re-broken in the fight to escape. She waited in front of the shuttle for her eyes to adjust. It looked like…..Kadara?

"Ah, hell."

Lilja contemplated climbing back inside the foreign shuttle, but knowing her luck it belonged to some slaver and she'd end up a footstool to Sloane herself. Lilja limped into the marketplace, eyes searching for a familiar face. She stayed towards the walls, careful to keep her head down; being recognized had a 50/50 chance of ending poorly. She was about to enter Kralla's Song when a pair of hands clamped around her arms. Lilja tensed, centering her weight, her fists flew up to protect her face and she spun to face her attacker.

In front of her was an alien, angara, around 6 1/2 feet, armored - Lilja froze, her train of thought derailing. "Kedh?"

"Lower your fists, human. You're in no danger from me. Akksul specifically said not to harm you."

Lilja cocked her head. "Akksul?"

"Leader of the Roekaar."

She couldn't contain her shock at that. Akksul, the leader of the Roekaar said to protect her. That didn't make sense. The Roekaar was a group of racist extremists. She shut her open mouth and looked up at Kedh. "Are you sure Akksul said that?"

Kedh stared her down, his blue eyes intense. His voice was low, and annoyed when he said, "you're as confused as I am, human."

"Well, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth," Lilja shrugged.

He stared blankly at her. "What is a horse?"

"An animal," Lilja explained, finally lowering her fists.

"Why would you look it in the mouth?"

Lilja rubbed her temples, feeling a headache come on. "It's an idiom."

"Oh." He nodded as if he understood and they continued walking. "What does it mean?"

"It," Lilja sighed, making a mental note to not use idioms, "it just means to not question when something good happens."

Kedh nodded. "That would be wise."

"Yeah, that's the point." Lilja shook her head. It was like talking to a child. Just a day ago he would hardly speak to her and now they were playing twenty questions. "Why are you following me?"

"Onsef asked me to protect you. She and Akksul have business in the port."

"Protect me? From what?" Lilja asked, taking a second to really look at Kedh. His coloring was paler than she'd seen before, nearly white with darker grey speckles and streaks of pale blue. His face was painted in a bright red markings across his cheek and chin.

He glanced down at her. "It is not safe to be a human on Kadara."

She frowned, stepping inside Kralla's Song and approaching the counter. She ordered a drink and turned back to stare at him. He was scoping the room, his eyes stopping at the exit. She nudged his shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Not all Roekaar are as nice as I am."

Lilja raised an eyebrow at him. "This is you being nice?"

He stared down at her, his hulking form towering over her. Lilja hoped his thoughts weren't as deadly as his gaze was at that moment. Kedh looked her up and down. "You're still alive, aren't you?"

Lilja unconsciously stepped back. "Point taken," she said. She was surprised at how much his responses varied, it was almost like speaking to two different people. One that hated her existence, and one that found her curious. She looked up at him again as the moved to sit at a table. She clenched her jaw as her side throbbed painfully. "So there are...what? Rogue Roekaar on Kadara?" Lilja joked.

"Yes."

Lilja blinked, gripping her drink tightly. "Oh."

She glanced back up at Kedh, following his eyes to the entrance. Two angara stood in the doorway, a man and a woman. It took a moment, but she recognized them as Onsef, her cellmate, and one of the angara that was apart of their escape from the kett facility. The two angara looked about the room, their gaze settling on hers. Onsef smiled. The other angara did not.

Lilja leaned back in her chair, shying away from his stare. "Boy, if looks could kill."

Kedh's lips raised in a crooked smile. "That is Akksul."

Lilja blanched. "Oh."

She watched them approach. They ducked through the crowd quickly, his gaze never leaving her. She felt very much like a small animal stuck in a trap. He stopped in front of the table. "Kedh, we are returning to the ship." He looked Lilja up and down. "Onsef, say goodbye to your human. We're leaving."

Lilja tensed. She wasn't certain how to feel. There was no one on Kadara that she could go to, and Onsef had been kind to her so far, but Akksul seemed to hate her mere existence. Would he really just leave her here?

Onsef smacked his shoulder. "Do not be foolish, little brother. She will be in our care until she is fully healed. We owe her our lives."

Lilja sat quietly as Akksul hissed back at Onsef in argument. Kedh had said that Akksul was the leader of the Roekaar, but it seemed like Onsef held a lot of sway over him, for which she was grateful. The last thing she wanted was to be stranded on Kadara, where around every corner was a cutthroat exile only out for themselves. Her best bet was to try and make it back to the Initiative. Though she wasn't certain how she would accomplish that if she was stuck with a bunch of racist extremists.

"Kedh, escort the human back to the ship," Akksul grunted.

Onsef smiled, "I will come with you."

xxx

Akksul stood in the back, leaned against the wall as he watched Onsef talk to the human. She had not left the human's side since they had gotten onto the shuttle, which seemed to reassure the human. It was an odd thing, very animated with its words, using its hands to describe things as it spoke. Onsef looked up, catching his stare with a mischievous grin. What was she up to?

"I do not believe the human is a threat."

Akksul turned his head to see Kedh standing beside him. "Is that so?"

"She is far too injured to hurt anyone, of that much I am certain," Kedh said.

"And when she is healed?" Akksul asked.

Kedh paused, seeming to think of this. "When we reached the kett base on Kadara there were humans standing outside the door. We expected to find many more inside, but there were only a few of them. This one was attempting to free our people." Kedh turned to look at Akksul. "And you were there when she saved Onsef and the others."

Akksul nodded in acknowledgement. Perhaps the human was not a threat to them, but still it... _she_ had a power that was different than he had ever seen. A blue glow that he'd seen her use as both a form of defense and attack. Though he would never admit it to anyone, he found her curious. The human's skin was so light, with no patterns. Her eyes were smaller, not so round as angaran eyes, and she was always watchful. He had been testing it by moving just into the human's peripheral vision, then turning sharply. The human would tilt her head just the slightest towards the movement, her whole body tensing. Also the human had the... hair. It was long, the palest brown color. He wondered what was its purpose? And what... what did it feel like?

Taak's voice came over comms, jolting Akksul from his thoughts of the human. ::Approaching Havarl.::

* * *

 **A/N:** _First off, sorry for the short chapter._ _Hope you lovelies are enjoying the story so far! The plan is to keep updating as fast as I crank these babies out, but a review or two wouldn't go amiss!_


	4. Chapter 4

The table was ice-cold, wet from being freshly cleaned of previous blood - her blood. They had always been consistent in that, keeping the table clean for each new visit. A new set of tools for every session. She shivered remembering their electric tool, something akin to a taser. She imagined it hurt much more for the angara, what with their bioelectricity. She looked down at her body to see that only her legs were strapped down, one on each side of the table, the cool air caressing her inner thighs. Lilja shivered.

Her wounds had been closed, she was patched up just enough for another round of torture. Some cuts were crudely stitched together, others cauterized. The Imperator stood at the end of the table, dead eyes watching her closely. He was always watching. Lilja could feel her face wet with tears, she just wanted it to stop. All the pain, the killing. She'd watched all her friends die, she'd watched her brother die.

Lilja stared back through bruised eyes, waiting. There would be questions, always with the questions, and then pain.

The Imperator leaned over her body, his rank breath smothering her when he opened his mouth. "Where do your people come from?"

She glared at him, his boney facial structure adding to the cold look in his eyes. She hated the kett more than she'd hated anything in her life. In fact, she was more than certain that she would be happy spending the rest of her life in Andromeda hunting the bastards down. If she lived that long. She didn't think she would. Perhaps she would just set her sights on The Imperator. If she was dying in this hellhole then he was going down with her.

"Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much," Lilja started, trailing off into painful laughter at the sight of his disgruntled face. She coughed until she could catch her breath, the sound raspy and wet.

"You think your foolish posturing will save you? Do all your people respond like this? Try and use words to make up for your feeble bodies?" His voice was harsh, but confident. He walked to the side of the table, picking up one of the many blades on the tray. "You're all just filthy animals. You don't even deserve exaltation." She knew what was coming next.

Lilja awoke screaming. A hand clamped over her mouth, and she flailed wildly, her panic rising. Strong arms pinned her against the bunk, she could hear a voice whispering, and struggled harder. She felt her heart rate rise, her side throbbed and her bruises protested against the pressure, but her fight-or-flight response won out over the pain.

"Stop moving, human!" the voice finally hissed in irritation, after a beat he began again, softer this time. "You are safe. No one will hurt you here. Shhhh. You are safe."

Lilja took deep breaths struggling to calm herself. Her eyes wide and fearful stared up at the stranger that hovered above. She searched for a familiar face in the alien that stared, but only found pooling blue orbs, speckled with white and purple and pale blue. Her breathing slowed. The eyes were actually rather beautiful, like small planets.

"Thank you," the voice said gruffly.

Lilja sucked in a breath, mortified. "Oh hell, I said that out loud." The alien gave the smallest of smiles that was gone in a second, and she sunk into the bunk, realizing who it was. "Y-you... you're Akksul."

His brows furrowed, his eyes searching hers, for what she didn't know. "Yes," he said quietly.

She pushed his hand away from her mouth, struggling to sit up. His hands curved around her waist, helping her move. Lilja watched his hands, staring at the curious webbed fingers that slipped away from her body. She sat silently as he left, returning with surprising quickness.

He handed her a cup, sitting beside her. "Drink this."

Lilja took the glass, peering inside. "What is it?"

"Dremaagry."

She blinked at him, then at the liquid. "I don't think that translated," she whispered meekly.

His chest rumbled with something akin to a growl. "Just drink it."

She nodded, bringing the cup to her lips and swallowing the murky liquid quickly. It was slow to slide down her throat, thick like honey, and it tasted strange, a little fruity, but the aftertaste was bitter like medicine. Lilja looked up at him, feeling very small under his gaze. "What was that for?"

He grunted. "Go back to sleep, human."

Feeling bewildered, she nodded and sunk back into the bunk with his help. She felt the blanket drop over her body and then the sound of the door opening and closing. Lilja let out a breath, "that was odd."

After finding a comfortable position, she quickly fell back asleep, nightmare free.

xxx

Akksul sulked back down the hall. He couldn't fathom why he had gone towards her room in the first place, but the sound of her screams set his heart rate running like it would with one of his own people. He chalked it up to her small size in comparison. She was like a child, he told himself. He sighed, opening the door to his own room.

Nightfall was coming, and then they could land on Havarl unnoticed. They would need to scout out Daar Paalev, then he would go see Thaldyr, and Onsef would see her husband again, Kjan. For now they orbited the planet, just out of scanning range.

He collapsed onto his bunk, remembering the way the human slept. She was curled into a tight ball when he first entered, and he forced himself to look away. Onsef slept on the bed across the room and he walked over, making sure she was getting the proper rest for her and her child. Then he heard the thrashing, the human tossed her limbs about in a way that would easily reopen her wounds. It took him a moment, but he finally approached the bed, moving to pin her to the bed. He knew she would not like it when she awoke, but she would be thankful to have less pain later.

Akksul rolled onto his side. His lips threatening to tug into a smile at her response to him. Of course, at first she was afraid, but then she stared unabashedly. Whispering about his eyes. He glanced up at his reflection in the glass. Beautiful, she'd said. Like small planets.

His door slid open, Onsef standing in the doorway. "Thank you for helping Lilja."

He huffed. "And here I thought you slept through everything. You could have helped her yourself."

Onsef laughed, walking into the room. "You may fool the others, Akksul, but I saw the look in your eyes. You pity her, and you feel for her pain."

Akksul clenched his jaw, looking away from Onsef's near giddy smile. Perhaps he did pity her. She was covered in wounds, and as Kedh and Onsef had both reminded him, she'd risked her life for angara. It was only right, wasn't it? To pity those more unfortunate. He couldn't imagine that her small body had taken the beating well. And he could still remember the things that they did to their captives.

"No one should have to suffer at the hands of the kett," he said plainly.

Onsef nodded, accepting his answer knowing there was more to it. "I was thinking of introducing her to the family. Jivfa would do well to see that not all aliens are like those in Kadara Port."

Akksul bolted up. "No! You will not." Jivfa was not as lenient towards aliens, he hated all of them - intensely. Onsef thought the best of everyone, and Akksul was glad that she was married to Kjan, who was as kind as she was, but not Jivfa. He was one of the best warriors Akksul knew, but he would kill Lilja. "Go see your husband, but the human stays here."

"And who will look out for her?" Onsef asked, a twinkle of mischief in her eye.

He glared back at her. "Just go. She will be safe here."

xxx

"You look better."

Lilja looked up to see Onsef standing behind her. "The bruises?" she asked, looking at her reflection. She twisted her body this way and that, trying to look at it all. "They're mostly yellow now. Almost healed."

Onsef nodded, placing a gentle hand on Lilja's shoulder, "I will be leaving soon. We are headed down to the planet."

"Which planet?"

"Havarl," Onsef said, a fond smile on her face.

Lilja thought for a minute, the name sounding familiar. She knew that Aya was the seat of their government and the Resitance, and the Voeld was their main military front against the kett, but she couldn't quite remember… "Isn't that...your home world?" Lilja asked, turning to look at Onsef.

"Yes," Onsef replied with a nod.

"And I will be staying on the ship," Lilja said glumly. It wasn't a question. She knew that they wouldn't let her have free range of both the ship and their home world. Not that she had free range of the ship, but so far she hadn't been specifically told she could not go anywhere. She mostly stayed in her room, Onsef would bring her food, and the bathroom was just across the hall.

She smiled sadly, "Akksul thinks that would be best."

"Ah, of course. Don't trust the human near your people."

Onsef shook her head, combing a reassuring hand through Lilja's hair. "Give it time. You will grow on him."

Lilja raised an incredulous eyebrow. "I doubt that."

"You will see, Lilja. Trust me." She smiled and left, giving Lilja some privacy.

Lilja carefully peeled off her clothes, stepping into the shower. She let the water soak her hair, gingerly raking her hands through the tangles. She stared down at the drain, watching as the water changed from a murky brown to clear. Lilja let her hand trace the edges of her body, stopping at each new scar. The one on her side was healing nicely under the angaran doctor's care.

She stepped out of the shower, leaning down to pick up her dirty clothes. She grimaced. There had to be some sort of washing machine somewhere on this ship. Lilja wrapped her towel tightly, and leaned out of the bathroom. The hallway was clear. She tiptoed out, wandering down the hall from room to room. She knew it had to be near the quarters somewhere. Lilja came upon the last door on the hall. She pressed the button on the panel to open the door, looking for an alien version of laundry machines. Instead she stood in front of a very naked angaran.

She gasped. "Sweet lord."

Akksul turned at the sound, and Lilja nearly choked on her own breath. But _wow_ was that man built. She would admit that she'd had the occasional sexual thought about an angara, after all she _was_ naturally curious. But now she has wild images flying through her head, and suddenly she didn't think walking around in a towel was such a good idea. Akksul's broad shoulders flowed down into narrow hips, and the intricate dips and curves of his chest made her curious as to their purpose, her hands itching to touch them, to know what his skin felt like. His body was the same combination of dark and light grey that his face was, all the way down to his... Lilja barely suppressed a squeak, her eyes going wide as she stumbled out the door way, and hurriedly pressed the button to close the door.

She felt her skin flush, a warmth spreading over her in her embarrassment. His... it was so. She swallowed a lump in her throat. It was much more similar to human anatomy than she'd ever thought it would be. Lilja gripped her towel tight and ran back to the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She dumped her clothes in the sink, scrubbing as much dirt off as she could with the hand soap. Her temperature fell back to normal as she stood in front of the hand dryer, holding her damp shirt between her hands.

When her clothes were mostly dry she tugged her shirt over her head, struggling to get her pants all the way up as she opened the door to the bathroom. Lilja buttoned them as she left the room, looking both ways to see if Akksul had left his room. When she thought the coast was clear she stepped out, turning down the opposite direction from his room. She was turning around the corner when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, spinning her to face the opposite direction. He guided her down the hall, all the way to where his room was, and she tensed. She thought she heard him chuckle, but the sound was quickly covered up by him opening another door just past his room on the opposite side.

"This," he started, gesturing to the machines, "is where we wash our clothes."

Lilja blinked. "Oh... thank you." Her shoulders slumped in relief. She wasn't sure what she thought would happen, but this certainly wasn't it. She turned and looked up at him, and he simply shook his head at her.

"Here. Onsef brought these for you," he said, handing her a pile of clothing. "She seemed to think they would fit you."

She blinked at the clothes, taking them slowly. But how would angaran clothes fit her?

"They're human. There was a merchant that happened to have them," he explained gruffly.

Lilja nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. She really did need to stop saying her thoughts aloud.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Reviews? Reviews for the poor?_

 _Thank you to my first reviewer, whoever you are sweet guest. It's always nice to know what the readers think! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

The human looked pensive, and nervous… like a caged animal, and, he suspected, just as dangerous. He could see the way she stepped back slightly, ready to dart from the room, away from him if he gave her reason to, which he did not intend. But she did not look afraid, which he found all the more curious. What was it that made her want to run if not fear?

Akksul studied her appearance, she looked different now that she was cleaner, her brown hair had small streaks of honey that blended into the rest nicely. Her face was clean, the bruises almost completely faded, he could see now a speckle of dots around her cheeks and forehead, the same ones that traveled from her shoulders down to the backs of her hands. She stood tall, but was clearly favoring her left side. An injury, he noted - the same one that had covered him in her blood as they had escaped the kett base.

She was clearly resilient, a trait he admired. Her eyes danced between his face and the floor, but never did they hold fear, only… embarrassment.

Akksul grinned, despite himself.

That was why she wanted to leave. She was embarrassed about seeing him naked. His grin spread into a full-blown smile. It seemed that humans were shy about such things. Was that why their clothes were so loose? Were they ashamed of their bodies? He tilted his head, watching her avoid his gaze.

He wanted to laugh, but thought better of it, embarrassing her further would not help garner her trust. Akksul froze. Where did that thought come from? What did he need her trust for? She was just another alien. More interested in stealing from what was rightfully the angara's, or in the Remnant. Just like the kett.

He ground his teeth together and left the room.

xxx

Lilja watched him leave. The renewed tension between his shoulders. He looked angry… extremely so. Had she done something wrong? Was he upset at her for seeing him…. Lilja swallowed, taking her clothes and marching back to her room. Well, Onsef's room. She placed the neat pile on her bunk and sat down beside it.

"Well, this is boring," she muttered to herself

Lilja stood and wandered to the observation deck. The room was nearly empty, save a few chairs, the whole left side of the room a giant window. She stared out in amazement, it looked like a jungle out there. A bright, exotic jungle. Lilja smiled. She wanted to go outside, she wanted to explore, but that meant getting passed Akksul unnoticed, and she imagined he would not look to kindly on her sneaking about. Lilja sighed, pressing her hands and face against the glass.

"It's soooo pretty," she said, her words muffled against the glass.

"It is dying."

Lilja jumped, smacking her forehead against the glass painfully. She rubbed it gently, turning to stare at the angara in the doorway. "Kedh. You're back."

His chest rumbled in displeasure. "Akksul had other business to attend to."

"So. You're my babysitter. Wonderful. Does he like anyone?! Really! I didn't even do anything wrong and he just got annoyed or angry…. or whatever - he's always a little broody - but he just up and leaves. And I don't even understand why I'm here if he hates aliens so much!"

Kedh blinked at her outburst. "You're here because Onsef likes you."

Lilja laughed bitterly. "She doesn't even know me."

"Exactly, human. You don't know any of us… but you risked your life for ours," Kedh explained softly. She repressed a sigh, knowing that he was trying to make her feel better - something he'd never done before.

"Mmmh," she grunted through pursed lips. Lilja turned back to the window. "You said the planet is dying?"

He looked out the window, his eyes tracing the plants while searching for signs of movement. "Yes. Unlike on Aya, there are only two Monoliths, and the scientists at Daar Pelaav have… predictions. They believe wildlife will consume everything in the years to come"

"Well that's… shitty. Is there anything we could do about it?"

Kedh walked into the room, moving to stand beside her. "And what would you do human? Do you even understand this technology?"

"No, technology was more my brother's thing. He could make _anything_." _When he was alive_ , she thought dolefully. "Science and Technology just isn't my subject."

"And what is your 'subject'?"

She looked up at him. "Me? I like history."

He nodded.

"And fighting."

He laughed.

"Whaaat?" she asked, mock offense in her tone.

He gestured to her body. "You're tiny."

She gaped. "I'm not tiny. You angara are just large."

He raised an eyebrow at her as if to say, "No, you are just tiny."

" 'Though she be but little, she is fierce.' Ancient human saying," she raised her eyebrows at him in challenge, "Means don't mess with little people…. sometimes we bite." She chomped her teeth for emphasis.

Kedh nodded with barely contained laughter. After letting the silence settle between them, Lilja nudged his shoulder. "If you're with me can I go outside?"

Kedh frowned. "No."

"No?"

"Yes."

She grinned obnoxiously. "So I can?!"

"No."

"And why not? Afraid I'll break something?"

His face expressed out utterly done he was with her childish responses. "It is dangerous."

"I'm dangerous," she responded with a ferocious swipe of her hand, her playful movement made with a truthful promise as her biotics flared blue around her. The use of her energy made her clench her teeth holding in a hiss of pain. Her body wasn't ready for her to do much of anything yet, and the thought annoyed her, she had never liked bedrest.

"You are still healing, human."

"You're mean," she griped, even as she knew he was right.

Kedh sighed. "I will ask Akksul when he returns."

Lilja nodded, moving to sit in one of the chairs. She kicked her feet up and gave him a self-satisfied smile. "When is he returning?"

Kedh watched her with indifference - a step up from his previous annoyance. "Soon, he is scouting the Daar."

She tilted her head, drumming her fingers on the armrests. "What's a 'daar'?"

"You ask too many questions," he said, leaning against the wall.

"I'm bored," she bemoaned. "I'd talk less if you took me outside."

He was not amused. "A daar is a village or small outpost. It can be the size of a city or just a tiny settlement. It's literal translation is "rock" or "rock foundation". The plural form is daara."

"Wow… that was a really indepth answer."

"I was a teacher."

Lilja frowned, recognizing the sensitivity of the subject, his use of past tense, but taking a chance anyway,"was?" she asked. His face grew stern, angry. She could see the sadness in his eyes, and her heart wrenched for him.

"Yes. Before the kett burned my daar to the ground. Before they murdered my family… and most of my students," he explained, his voice catching. "It is why I fight," Kedh finished angrily.

Lilja leaned forward in her chair. She knew that angara were a passionate people, that they spoke their emotions unabashedly, but Kedh had never expressed anything other than disgust, annoyance, and mild amusement in front of her. It was clearly a difficult subject, but even more than that he had just shared something with her. She bit her lip, thinking of something to say. Her curiosity nudged at her impatiently. She wanted to know how his loss turned from hatred at the kett to an extreme hate for not just aliens, but also other angara that associated with them.

Lilja worried her lip between her teeth. "How did you meet Akksul then? You two seem pretty close… I mean, he trusts you so…" she trailed off, unsure of how to finish what she was saying without offending him.

"We were on Voeld together. I was one of the first to join after he created the Roekaar. It was," he paused, choosing his words carefully, "different then. It was more about doing what the Resistance could not, but our numbers were slow growing. We needed more if we were to make an impact, if we were going to defeat the kett. As attacks increased so did our numbers, and even more so when you aliens appeared. Outsiders at our most vulnerable time. We could not afford to trust you."

 _Still can't_ , Lilja thought. They were the words that he had left unsaid, and they stung worse than any knife. These angara were all she had left, and they hated her. She'd been betrayed by her leader, tortured by the kett, and she had to watch her brother and friends die. Each time one had died, she went crazy. She unleashed her biotics on the kett and they learned a little more of her powers. First it had been Erick on that slab of metal. His dead body flayed open. It was the first time she'd used her biotics since being captured, and it had made everything that much worse. Lilja had told herself that she would keep her cool after that. She wouldn't let them learn anymore. But when they brought in Adain… that was a whole different story.

 _Lilja leaned against the straps. She struggled to remember what Adain had said about the material that the straps were made from. Something about an artificial polymer. It was made to stretch to cover the wrists and ankles, the strap in itself would cause no damage that way, but if enough pressure was applied at its weakest point, then it would snap. She twisted her feet to and fro, pulling up on the straps, testing their resistance._

 _"Zul chem soned!"_

 _"Ooga booga," Lilja snapped back. Her voice was not but a rough croak, she hadn't spoken in days. Not since they'd killed Mason. Unlike Erick, they hadn't tortured him to death. His heart simply gave out after the exhaustion of labor. She supposed she should be thankful that they hadn't tried to put her to work, but she was simply angry._

 _The kett leaned in close. "Use power again."_

 _"Bite me." She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the hit, but it never came._

 _Instead the door opened._

 _The Imperator entered, his smug face staring down her. Behind him a group of kett enetered hauling…. Lilja jerked forward, her limbs protesting angrily._

 _"What the hell do you think you're doing you kett bastards?! Leave him alone!"_

 _"This one is special to you," the Imperator surmised with annoying accuracy. "A lover?"_

 _Adain cackled painfully, coughing out blood when he was finally finished. Lilja grimaced._

 _"Damnit, Adain, don't hurt yourself."_

 _He smiled, blood smeared across his lips and teeth. "Couldn't help it, Lil. They're just so fucking stupid."_

 _That earned him a punch to the stomach, but it didn't wipe away the look of triumph on his face. The Imperator walked closer._

 _"A brother then."_

 _"Ding ding ding! You've won!" Lilja said, hoping to draw all attention to herself. "Do you want to know what your prize is?"_

 _The Imperator narrowed his gaze at her._

 _"Tell 'em, Adain," she said, with a wink and a quick thrust into the air_

 _Adain's laugh was wet and sporadic. He was both disgusted and amused, and Lilja grinned just imagining the look on his face. She'd never been one for dirty jokes before, but growing up with four brothers - she knew more than enough. She'd done her best to channel their obnoxious confidence and crude humor to get herself through the ordeal._

 _When he recovered, Adain gestured to his crotch, "this dick."_

 _It was an archaic human joke, but history had always been her thing. She was more than happy to share every ridiculous thing she learned with her family._

 _The Imperator was not amused._

 _He twisted sharply moving towards her brother with inhuman speed. He took Adain by the throat, lifting him off the floor. "Show me the power you used against my men."_

 _Adain's hands clawed against the Imperator, searching for some purchase. He caught Lilja's eyes. "Don't do it."_

 _Lilja clenched her jaw, the tears already pouring down her cheeks. She knew what they would do, but she'd see enough of their experiments to know that if she showed them it would be worse. They couldn't be allowed to use biotics._

 _One kett stepped forward, plunging a blade into his gut. Lilja gasped, her confidence faltering. "Adain!"_

 _"I'm fine! It's fine," he coughed out, "Don't do anything stupid, Lil. Don't let these boneheads manipulate me. They'll kill us both anyway. Just stay strong, Lil."_

 _Lilja nodded through the tears._

 _It was a small movement, when the Imperator twisted his wrist, but the crack was sickening. Adain went limp, his body falling to the floor. Lilja screamed._

 _Her bioitics flared a deep indigo, and she tore herself from the table. A quick shockwave sent the kett flying across the room and into their other trays. She heard glass shatter, an alarm blaring loudly in her ears, but she moved with purpose. Her barrier held strong against their weapons as she dashed for her brother. Lilja dropped down beside Adain's body. Her hands shaking as she pulled him against her body._

 _"I'm so sorry, Adain. I'm so so sorry." She dropped her head against his cheek, her whole body shaking. "I'll make them pay." She laid him against the floor, gently brushing his hair out of his face and pressing a kiss against his forehead. When she stood, it was slow, confident. Her biotics flared dangerously, she looked down at her hand, building a mass effect field in her hand. "If it's the last thing I do."_

Lilja nodded into the silence. "I'd like to help," she stated quietly. Kedh turned sharply and Lilja jumped up, holding her hands to stop him. "Please, just let me finish! I know you don't trust me. I know that Akksul definitely doesn't trust me - well, actually I don't even think he's remotely close to liking me - but there has to be a way that I can help. I was tracking kett the begin with before all this," she gestured broadly with her hands, "happened. And if Onsef wants to let me stay until I'm fully healed then I might as well do something. I have some skills, you know. I'm not as worthless as Akksul thinks I am."

A person behind her cleared his throat and Lilja turned to face him.

Akksul did not look happy. Not that he ever did - mostly his face was impassive, but as she met his pale blue eyes, his displeasure was plain to see. Though, she thought, not so angry as he was before. That had to be a good sign, right?

Akksul brushed past her without so much as a word. His focus was entirely on Kedh, who stood straight, focused. He was no longer thinking of his past, but of the words that Akksul had to say.

"The daar is mostly empty, save the wildlife. It will suit us well. Message Neumba and tell his team to get to Kadara. I'm moving Taavos."

Kedh nodded obediently and moved out of the room and down the hall towards the communications room.

Lilja stared at the two angara blankly, she was not apart of this conversation, but her curiosity twitched eagerly. Something was happening and she wanted to be involved. Well, so long as it was something related to fighting kett.

When they were alone, Akksul turned towards her. He studied her for a moment, and she watched him back. She focused on his eyes, looking for some sign of emotion, some way to read him. She thought she saw an emotion pass through his face, but whatever he'd felt it was gone in a second. He frowned.

"Come with me."

Lilja bit the inside of her cheek, some part of her screamed that going with him was a bad idea, but the rational part of her mind knew that no matter what was going to happen if she went with him - not going with him was a worse idea. She mimicked Kedh's obedient nod and followed Akksul from the room.

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 **A/N:** _Whoo! Reviews galore! As always, I love hearing from the readers - nothing like appreciation to keep me motivated and writing! :)_

 _I know it's a slow burn, but hang in there y'all! We're making progress ... whether Akksul admits it or not *wiggles eyebrows suggestively*_


	6. Chapter 6

The room that Akksul lead her into was one that she had been semi-expressly forbidden from. No one had said the actual words, but the only time she'd gotten near the guards glared at her with daggers sharp enough to fillet a manta. It was enough to keep her far, far away. Lilja stayed close on Akksul's heels, her eyes straining to stay focused on him and not wander. She had always been a curious one, and there were so many maps, and unique items in the room. It looked like an archeologist's collections, and that alone made it feel so out of place. The Roekaar never seemed to be interested in history, only in killing anyone that wasn't angara. Well, at least that's what Lilja had thought before they saved her. Apparently they made exceptions.

The setup of the room reminded her of a CIC, but there was a large galaxy map in the center of the room. There were four colored dots: blue, red, orange, and green. Lilja assumed that red meant "bad", seeing as how it was everywhere… and so were the kett. Blue was more than likely the anagara; she recognized kadara as one of the blue dots. Which left her with orange and green. Lilja looked for the nexus and found a bright orange spot. She guessed that being the next closest color to red was not a good thing.

"You are correct," Akksul said plainly, "It marks potential threats."

Lilja wanted to protest, but she knew what the exiles were capable of. Hell, she had been betrayed by her own boss, left high and dry. They didn't seem to car about the usual laws of society once they were exiled from the Nexus. It was every man for themselves and if you didn't find the right 'friends' then you'd end up dead just as soon as someone could profit from it. Nearly everything the angara knew about the Milky Way races came from the exiles. She grimaced. "Fair enough. So what did you bring me here for?"

"You said you wanted to help," Akksul responded plainly. He was not so stern as usual, and Lilja found herself quite surprised that he was giving her a chance to prove herself so soon. Did he have some other ulterior motive? Was she going to end up bait for another leader's plans?

Lilja raised an eyebrow. "Really? I thought you'd be more standoffish and suspicious…. and less…..gungho."

"Gung-ho?"

She watched his confused expression, the curious innocence of it settling her concerns. "Eh. Nevermind. Can we just skip this part and get to the "do this" part?"

His frown grew deeper, but he complied. "There is an ancient angara crash surrounded by remnant and wildlife. Go get scans of it."

She blinked at him. "You want me to get killed. That's what I'm hearing, right?"

"This will be your test. If you can retrieve scans and come back alive then you might be useful to us."

Lilja clenched her teeth. Might be useful? "Aye aye, Captain."

She programmed in navpoint into her omni-tool and set off down the hall to the armor lockers. Lilja grumbled to herself as she assembled some makeshift armor from angaran supplies and what she assumed was some basic human armor that the merchant happened to have. She missed her armor and her weapons. They were custom made for her and top-of-the-line and perfect and… Lilja sighed, probably destroyed or locked up in some kett base. Either way, they were now a colossal waste of credits.

Lilja grabbed one of the run-of-the-mill rifles, a shotgun, and some ammo mods and set out for the navpoint that Akksul had given her. She was relieved to be outside again. Havarl was truly beautiful, but after not even five minutes she realized why it was so sparsely populated.

She was crouched behind a large boulder that protruded from the ground. Not ten yards ahead was a small pack of challyrions, and to the east she spotted a eiroch. She could take the challyrions head on, as alien as they looked they were essentially wolves, traveling in packs and hunting together; take out the alpha and they'll be disorganized and easier to pick off, but the noise would almost certainly attract the eiroch. Lilja let her head thump against the rock in defeat.

"Ow," she mumbled. Lilja looked up, rubbing her forehead. A smile split across her face. "Perfect."

She clutched the stone, scrambling her way to the top of the boulder. Her side protested at the movement, but she was able to lay across the top, setting the eiroch in her sights. That beast would take the longest to kill, and then things would be easy.

Lilja braced herself for the recoil, firing a steady stream of inferno bullets at the giant lumbering creature. Its cry was surprisingly high-pitched for its size, and it charged towards the boulder. From the left she could hear the challyrions howl, and new that they would soon attack. That left her with only one choice. Lilja let her biotics flare, but the blue light only brought pain throughout her body. She wasn't really strong enough to use it yet, but still she unleashed a shockwave, causing the eiroch to stumble in its charge.

She faced north and aimed at the closest challyrion, the fast movement causing a stitch to tear. Within seconds it was dead and she was moving on to the next, her nerves twitching and telling her to remember the eiroch. Lilja threw a singularity at the challyrions, the mass effect field pulling them up into the air and removing them as an immediate danger.

The eiroch was back on it's feet, but clearly wounded. A few well-placed shots and a warp could bring it down, so Lilja did exactly that. When she was certain the eiroch was dead, she turned back north, shooting the last of the challyrions. She could feel the warm blood against her side, and her entire body ached as she scrambled down off the boulder.

The next mile was relatively clear, excepting the kaerkyns, and the occasional Rylkor, which reminded Lilja of a dinosaur she saw in an ancient human vid, and were content to be left alone so long as she didn't get too close. Her omni-tool dinged, alerting her that she was nearing the ancient angaran crash site. The only problem was, it was located in a giant valley. Lilja took a few seconds to scope out the area and found what appeared to be steps leading down into the crevice. She could see the ship from above, it was stuck into the ground, fauna growing all around it, but more than that there were those weird alien things.

Lilja had seen sites that contained the creature before, but she couldn't remember what people were calling them. All she knew, was that they attacked on sight. She checked her ammo, and sighed. Her rifle was running low, hopefully the shotgun would be enough to get her back safely. Lilja jumped down the steps, the landings jarring her wounded body. She gritted her teeth and pushed forward, creeping closer to the crash site. If she was lucky they wouldn't see her.

Lilja ducked behind the wing of the ship, her feet sloshing quietly in the water that surrounding the mound. She activated her omni-tool, turning to face the ship and slowly making her way around the side as she scanned it. Behind her, Lilja heard the telltale sound of the machine spotting her, and turned to see the red eyes scanning her body.

"Fuck."

xxx

Akksul drummed his fingers against the desk, his impatience coming to a head. He stood, leaving the room and blazing a trail to the cockpit. He stared out the window, eyes searching for any sign of the human.

"Hmmph." It appeared that the human was dead.

Akksul's stomach twisted unpleasantly, and he didn't bother questioning his body's response. He headed straight for the armor room, suiting up and grabbing his weapon, before heading to the hanger. As the door slid open, so did his jaw. At the bottom of the ramp was Lilja, her small form moving sluggishly towards him. He took three quick strides and met her near the bottom, carefully looping an arm around her and lifting most of her weight.

She looked up at him, her lips twitching into a smile. He expected a smart comment from her, as she did so love to test the patience of nearly ever angara she met, but Lilja only continued to smile. "Thank you," she whispered before her eyes fluttered close, her head rolling back, and all of her weight dropping onto him.

Akksul swept her up into her arms, dashing towards the medbay. He sent out a message to Onsef and Kedh, telling them of the human's condition and to send for the doctor. He laid her body out on the table and stood anxiously at her side. He did not know how to care for a human.

His hands twitched at his sides. The armor… he should remove the armor so the doctor can treat the wounds. Akksul leaned over her, slowly unbuckling her armor. His large hands handled her with the utmost care, until all that was left was the clothes she wore underneath. With the armor gone, he could see that she was still breathing, her chest rising and falling in slow even breaths. She almost appeared to be sleeping.

Akksul leaned in close, his eyes dancing over her body. He lifted a hand and brushed the pale strands of hair from her face, and was shocked at how soft it was. He glanced down at her closed eyes and the back at her hair, deciding to run his hand through it once more. Lilja leaned into his touch, a satisfied moan escaping her unconscious lips.

Akksul's body stirred at the sound and he stumbled back. What was he doing? What was he thinking? He couldn't be attracted to a… no. No.

xxx

Lilja chomped down on the middle of her tongue in surprise. "Ow. Fuck." The iron-taste of blood spread across her tastebuds and Lilja wrinkled her nose. "Bleh."

"Are you all right?" Akksul asked quickly, he seemed uncomfortable at the thought, which vaguely amused Lilja.

"It's just my tongue. I'll be fine."

"Let me see."

Lilja blanched. "What?! No."

He loomed closer and Lilja shrank back, slowly poking her tongue out between her lips. Akksul leaned dangerously close and Lilja could feel her temperature rise. She began to draw her lip back inside the safety of her mouth, her gaze flicking between his lips and eyes. Akksul took a step closer and Lilja found her back pressed against the edge of the galaxy map. His head dipped in low and Lilja sucked in a breath, panic consuming her.

Akksul paused, and began leaning away. She felt relieved. Then confused. Then… disappointed.

Lilja darted up onto her tiptoes, her hands wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer. When their lips met she struggled to keep from smiling. He was so soft and warm and - whoa! Akksul's hands found a spot on either side of her thighs, lifting her up as he moved them back against the display. Her bottom pressed against the cool metal and she arched forward, seeking Akksul's warmth. His tongue darted out, insisting entrance, which she happily granted. All of her nerves were abuzz, every little touch feeling so good.

Lilja moaned, earning a grunt of approval from Akksul and even more passion. His hands began searching, one sliding up to test the feel of her breast, while the other squeezed her thigh, holding her in place. When his hand returned it took another path, sliding down her waist. Lilja gasped in pain. The wound on her side screaming out. Akksul pulled away and Lilja clenched her eyes, struggling to catch her breath.

She shook her head, remembering the feel of the blade and the kett who had inflicted the pain. Lilja pushed Akksul further from her. "This was a mistake. I can't - we can't…. This just can't happen."

"What can't happen?"

Lilja bolted up in bed, gasping in surprise. Beside her bed, Onsef was sitting in a chair, a warm smile on her face, but slight confusion in her eyes. "You must have been talking your sleep," Onsef said, thinking aloud.

"Oh," Lilja muttered. Of course it was just a dream. Akksul didn't want her like that. She was a human, and he'd made it clear how he felt about aliens. Lilja swallowed thickly. She just had a dirty dream about Akksul. Well, she argued with herself, it wasn't _that_ dirty. Just a kiss. Kisses. And touching. She brushed her fingers against her lips, it had felt so real. So warm. So _good._ Lilja shook her head, refocusing on Onsef. "How long was I out for this time?"

"Mmmh, not long. You reopened your wound. The blood loss mixed with exertion caused you to pass out. You slept for a few hours." Onsef grinned to herself. "You had Akksul quite concerned, but he was impressed with the depth of your scans."

"Concerned?" Lilja asked, dumbfounded.

Onsef smiled still, but continued, "and he has another mission for you. After you have rested, of course." Onsef stood and turned around, picking up a plate and placing it on Lilja's lap. "I brought you some food. It will help you regain your strength," she said encouragingly.

Lilja watched Onsef leave, her mouth still hanging open. "Concerned?"


End file.
